KUALA LUMPUR – Former world junior champion Goh Jin Wei acknowledges her deep love for badminton as the primary reason she persists in her career as a professional player, despite going six years without clinching a championship title.
At the age of 23, Jin Wei is aware that expectations for her representation in the women’s singles event at the Malaysia Masters are low, given her lacklustre results in several previous tournaments.
Despite facing negative criticism every time she exits early on the international stage, Jin Wei has no choice but to push forward and strive.
In a move that left the badminton world stunned, she announced her retirement at the tender age of 21 in September 2021.
Yet, five months later, she made a remarkable comeback to the professional scene.
Her best shot at securing her maiden BWF World Tour title came at the Vietnam Open 2022, but ended in disappointment when she lost in the final to the home representative Nguyen Thuy Linh.
Last year was a nightmare for Jin Wei as she suffered early exits, including second-round eliminations, in 18 out of 19 World Tour tournaments she participated in.
Her farthest-reaching achievement last year was reaching the semi-finals of the Hong Kong Open.
“That’s life, not everything will always go your way. That’s what sports has taught me, so I just keep fighting.
“The reason I continue playing is that I still have hope to win and keep fighting.
“It’s impossible not to feel there’s a chance I might lose and feel like giving up, but I don’t think that’s the right attitude.
“In the past, I might have been affected by all those negative comments, but after undergoing surgeries, I’ve realised that I have to face many things alone.
“Most of the time, I spend it alone, and that’s okay. Those (negative) words, I just ignore them,” said Jin Wei.
At the same time, Jin Wei admits to learning a great deal from her three friends, men’s singles shuttler Lee Zii Jia, Soh Wooi Yik (men’s doubles), and Lai Pei Jing (mixed doubles).
All three have faced similar situations and responded with podium success to silence critics.
“I don’t feel sad when others succeed. Instead, I feel proud. When I’m disappointed, it’s in myself.
“Seeing my friends achieve good results, like Zii Jia, makes me proud because I’ve seen them struggle before and bounce back.
“I see it as a learning experience, and I’m proud of the three of them,” she added.
For this year’s Malaysia Masters, Jin Wei is yet to know her opponent in the first round as she is scheduled to meet a player from the qualifiers.
Her priority now is to showcase her best performance, as this tournament also serves as preparation for the Paris Olympic Games, which will take place in July. – May 19, 2024